Short Summary

ABOUT 400 STUDENTS WALKED OUT ON THE OFFICIAL COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY ON SUNDAY (15 JUNE) AND STAGED A PROTEST CEREMONY OUTSIDE.

Description

ABOUT 400 STUDENTS WALKED OUT ON THE OFFICIAL COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY ON SUNDAY (15 JUNE) AND STAGED A PROTEST CEREMONY OUTSIDE.

THE WALKOUT INVOLVED ABOUT ONE-FIFTH OF THE 2,000 GRADUATING STUDENTS. STUDENTS SAID THE PROTEST WAS AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY'S HANDLING OF THE "PEOPLE'S PARK" DISPUTE. THAT CONTROVERSY INVOLVED THE UNIVERSITY'S FENCING OFF THEIR OWN PROPERTY WHICH STUDENTS HAD TRANSFORMED FROM AN EMPTY LOT TO A PARK. WHEN STUDENTS DEMONSTRATED AGAINST THE PARK'S CLOSURE, NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS WERE CALLED IN, STUDENTS WERE TEAR-GASSED AND SHOT WITH PELLETS, AND ONE YOUNG BYSTANDER WAS KILLED BY GUN SHOT WOUNDS.

SUNDAY'S WALKOUT TOOK PLACE A CHANCELLOR ROGER HEYNS WAS ABOUT TO DELIVER HIS ADDRESS. THE STUDENTS MARCHED OUT OF BERKELEY'S MEMORIAL STADIUM AND HELD AN IMPROMPTU CEREMONY OUTSIDE. HALF THE DEMONSTRATORS THEN MARCHED TO "PEOPLE'S PARK" WHERE THEY RATTLED THE STEEL WIRE FENCE SURROUNDING THE PARK. BUT THEY SOON DISPERSED, BRINGING TO AN END ONE OF THE STORMIEST SEMESTERS IN THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF THE BERKELEY CAMPUS.